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Student loan refinancing lenders
To identify the “best companies” for refinancing student loans, we looked at data points in the following categories (with the following weightings):
- Min. fixed rate: 30%
- Min. variable Rate: 10%
- Offers both types of rates: 10%
- Term length: 5%
- Repayment: 10%
- Fees: 5%
- Discounts: 3%
- Customer experience: 5%
- Cosigner release: 5%
- Max undergrad balance: 5%
- Max grad balance: 5%
- Other: 7%
Private student loan lenders
To identify the “best companies” for private student loans, we looked at data points in the following categories (with the following weightings):
- Min. fixed rate: 26%
- Min. variable Rate: 13%
- Term length: 5%
- Repayment: 10%
- Fees: 10%
- Discounts: 4%
- Customer experience: 10%
- Cosigner release: 10%
- Other: 12%
Personal loan lenders
To identify the “best companies” for personal loans, we looked at data points in the following categories (with the following weightings):
- Min. fixed rate: 30%
- Term length: 10%
- Fees: 10%
- Discounts: 3%
- Customer experience: 15%
- Time to fund: 10%
- Max loan amount: 10%
- Other: 12%
All of the lenders were ranked against the same weightings to get the rating out of five stars.
To gather and validate all of this information, Credible’s experts reviewed and researched multiple student loan refinancing, private student loan, and personal loan lenders. Our methodology task force consisted of 17 experts across four teams.
We scoured each lender’s website, spoke to customer service, reached out via email, and consulted internal teams and data to ensure all data points were accurate and up to date.
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